Mary Emma Ackels Karam

Inspired Long Before I Became a Lawyer

In this personal essay, Jackson Walker healthcare partner Mary Emma Ackels Karam revisits small but impactful scenes of her own personal family history and reflects on how one family member — her mother — was instrumental in shaping Karam into the wife, mother, lawyer and mentor to other women that she is today.

Pictured: Karam (far left) circa 1987 with her parents, Isabel and Lawrence Ackels, and nine siblings.

March 25, 2024 Mary Emma Ackels Karam

P.S. — This Week’s Givers: Haynes Boone, Squire Patton Boggs, John DeWitt Gregory Trust and Witherite - The Dallas Bar Association’s Equal Access to Justice Campaign is about one-third of the way to its $1.4 million goal. Texas Appleseed raised $544,000 at its annual Good Apple Dinner last week, including a $1,000 donation from The Texas Lawbook. A Dallas plaintiff’s law firm is the first in the legal industry to announce it is sponsoring a Thanksgiving food giveaway. And a Squire Patton Boggs senior partner in Dallas will be honored next week for a career of professionalism. November 15, 2024Mark Curriden
The NEW Roundtable Turns 10 — A Decade of Making a Difference - Jacobs Deputy GC Chasity Henry founded the NEW Roundtable, a nonprofit that brings together in-house and outside counsel with the mission of promoting the advancement of African American women lawyers. NEW stands for Network of Empowered Women. The organization is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week with a gala. The NEW Roundtable started with Henry and about two dozen other Black women lawyers and has grown to nearly 100 members, including Black women who are in-house counsel, lawyers at law firms or in government service or in academia.

“This broad base enables us to drive impactful connections and career development across various sectors of the legal profession,” Henry said in an interview with The Texas Lawbook. “Our members’ professional achievements across the legal spectrum demonstrate that The NEW Roundtable is not just creating opportunities — it is transforming the legal landscape for Black women attorneys. Through community, mentorship, and strategic alliances, we are reshaping what is possible in the legal profession.”

The Lawbook recently interviewed Henry about the 10th anniversary of the NEW Roundtable, the successes and challenges of the organization and the legal profession regarding diversity and inclusion. November 8, 2024Mark Curriden

Mary Emma Ackels Karam

Inspired Long Before I Became a Lawyer

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